My young politician

Chet is running for the Student Council. We made a bunch of signs for him to put up, and he will be delivering his speech tomorrow. He is running on a bi-partisan platform, and has hired Matt to be his campaign manager. Personally, I think he should run for Congress because I think he can do a better job at it than most of the people on the hill.

This week we have been thinking of slogans, and wishing the campaigning process was longer so he could make buttons.

Matt wants his slogan to be "Chet for Student Council... cuz he's awesome like that."

I told him he should round up all of his girlfriends and give them buttons that say "Chicks for Chet." (You'd have to know how many love notes this kid gets to really appreciate how appropriate that slogan would be... lol) Then Faith said he should promise to take all the girls who vote for him on a date. I vetoed that. Not only is he not old enough to date yet, but that particular style of campaigning is a bit too Bill-Clintonesque for me to stomach!

The election is tomorrow. Good luck, Chet!

Final Catch Up... Misc Junque

I think I have most of the major highlights caught up, finally. I will do a new post with Faith's volleyball pictures tomorrow. I just updated Chet's blog with the pictures from last week's trip to St. Jude. My computer's powercord and I have parted ways due to it not working properly, and now that I have replaced it with a younger and prettier cord my computer is re-energized (literally) and working much faster again. I just had a few fun photos I wanted to include before I called it a night.

This time of year has me up before the sun is most days. I love the foggy mornings the best.I always liked foggy mornings in California too, but here in the mountains it has a whole different feel to it, and I personally think it is much prettier. I love looking out the bathroom window in the morning and seeing the sun light up low-lying fog and fields and ponds.
Then at night it sinks back down in front of the house, and I get to gaze at it over the neighbor's property, ponds, and fields. Of course, their barbed wire gets in my way too, but such is life sometimes. I thought these clouds looked so cool sprawling across the sky. Although I think the mountains rule when it comes to sunrise, I have to admit the desert has it hands-down when it comes to sheer glamourous sunsets. Ours aren't too shabby here, though.

When we moved in, we found these green ball things all over the yard. Kyle likes to call them Monkey Balls. I had no clue what they were, even after the kids made money picking up walnuts in our friends' yard last year. I was looking at them the other day, and realized that these are the green hulls on the outside of the black walnuts.
It took me two years to realize what it was, but I have a huge, bountiful walnut tree in our yard. They are all almost done falling off the tree and the kids and I are gathering them up to take them down to get hulled. Then I am going to come home and make Banana Monkey Ball Bread.
It is bad enough that Faith wants to wear make-up. Beth keeps practicing putting it on as well. She found the little mirror in an old purse and took it out to put in her purse along with the lipgloss she always carries. She is five and wants to be a Cover Girl.
Faith has really enjoyed cooking lately. We picked a bunch of jalapenos last week, and she stuffed them with cream cheese, wrapped them in bacon, and tossed them in the oven all on her own. These are soooo yummy!
Simple pleasures. The kids keep picking handfuls of the autumn wildflowers growing abundantly all over the property to fill my camping coffee percolator with. It looks very down home to me,and I love coming home to see them on the porchrailing. My kids love me enough to pick the very best weeds for me, a gallon at a time.


I also wanted to share this story that Rachel posted on her blog. Her son Kyler and Kyle have become really good friends, and Kyle went to her house for Kyler's birthday party last weekend.

4. It sometimes continues. Kyle came to Kyler's party. He comes from a large family. Remember when you HAD to eat the candy/cookies/etc., to keep your brother/sister from getting it? No? Maybe that just happened in my family. Anyway, Kyle rode to the party with my parents. He managed to eat all the goodies before he got home. . .except the gum. Mom said she told him that he could share that with his brothers and sisters. . .He managed to get all the gum in his mouth before he got home. : ) (Jenn, I hope you don't get mad! I thought it was hilarious!)

I wasn't offended at all, but we had a good time teasing Kyle about it after I read this. Todd said "You hid cookies from me???" This isn't just a large family thing, though. My brother and I were home alone one day, and thirsty. We stood in front of the open refrigerator door, and I was drinking the water directly out of the gallon bottle, breaking two of Mom's rules in one shot. He was telling me to hurry up, so I showed him. I drank that whole gallon of water in one long continuous glug, and proceeded to painfully slush around the house for the next couple of hours. Jesse was really suffering, I tell ya.

Now I need to stepaway from blogging and get my design work caught up. See ya tomorrow!

Homecoming

Friday was Spirit Day at the high school, in anticipation of that night's Homecoming football game and dance. Matt was awake at 5 in the morning to paint his face with some fierce tiger stripes and then join the team for a pancake breakfast at 6am. You might notice there aren't any pictures of these early morning breakfasts on gamedays, and there is a good reason for it. I can't bear the thought of being awake and alert and dressed that early in the morning to do anything, so Jack takes him to the breakfasts.

However, I wanted to get photos of Matt's face, and even though I did get up before he left to take them, the sun hadn't made its appearance yet. So when I took the other kids to school I called Matt and asked him to meet me for a re-shoot. He looks mad, but he wasn't. Apparently serious football players don't smile. Ever.

They do reflect pretty well in their mother's shades, though.
Tyler rode home with the kids to spend the weekend with Chet, and the two of them disappeared upstairs to immerse themselves in Rockband, so I helped the younger kids spirit up for the homecoming game. Todd and Kyle wanted to be red and white footballs with Matt's Jersey number on their cheeks. They started rubbing my hard work off their noses before I could even finish taking pictures.
Is a young female tiger a tigress? Whatever they are, I had one of those.
And my little tiger cub stole the show.
Predator World brought a real tiger for the big night. He was pacing aggressively, and making tiger noises, and I was honestly very glad there was a strong cage between him and us weak humans.
Matt's pawprint was decorating the fenceline....
along with the rest of the team's prints.
These pictures aren't great, but they were shot off the cuff without being able to adjust the settings. I saw Kyle and his friends talking, but I have no idea what they were saying. The expressions on their faces, though, makes me wish I could have been a fly on that wall behind them.
I had a bit of an epiphany during this game. I am the first to admit that I really don't know all the whys and wherefores of football. I know there are first, second, third, and fourth downs, but I don't know why a team will go from third down to first down again. I know the names of the different positions, but other than the quarterback, I don't know where they line up on the field. I am not completely clueless, I am just busy, and studying football rules is low on my priority list. I have noticed the football on the board before, and since I tend to only glance toward the board when the team scores I just assumed it meant they had made a touchdown. For some reason, though, I really noticed the board this week and it dawned on me that the ball stays on the scoreboard during the whole time, but moves back and forth. It denotes which team has the ball, doesn't it? I promise to be better at this whole football mom thing by the time Todd is in highschool... bear with me boys!
The JV team doesn't actually get to play very often, but they really are good at doing what they do. With the JV team on the job I can guarantee you that nobody is getting through that sideline, even if they wanted to for some reason.
After half-time, I looked up and saw the entire team running towards me, with Matt in front. I wish they would warn me about things like this so I could have my camera ready.
Here are the coaches doing a little jig. (I swear, someday I might end up getting my camera 86'ed from the sidelines.)

There was a moment where a teammate went down under a pile of opposing members, so the team went to their knees while he got his breath back.
The coaches got him up and going, and the Tigers returned their focus to whomping the opposing team.
They were 36-6, so it was safe to let the JV team play. There weren't any major plays made in those last two minutes, but my boy was on the field. That counts.

At one point in the game, Matt's friend Hayden made a touchdown. However, one of those rules I don't really know much about was violated, and the touchdown didn't count.

After the game, Matt came back out ready for the dance. They don't have homecoming dances here in the country like they do in the city. There are no tuxes, no limos, the only fancy dresses are earlier in the day at the crowning ceremony. In fact, crowning the king and queen isn't even done at the dance. I bought Matt new clothes for the dance, but if you had asked me in highschool if my son would one day wear a t-shirt with skulls to his homecoming dance I would have looked at you funny.


I am not being sarcastic at all... Matt loves to dance. He goes to every school dance stag, and always ends up with dance partners. He wouldn't let me come to the dance to take his pictures, which broke my heart in a million pieces. He had a great time, though. Apparently there was a circle around him chanting as he did the worm. And he spent the night getting to know a girl. At the end of the night he asked her for her number, and she gave it to him. This next part cracks me up, and I couldn't make it up this funny even if I wanted to. She gave him her number and he asked her, "Is this really your number, or are you giving me some bogus number and when I call I will get some weirdo in his fifties who doesn't know what I am talking about?" He said she really laughed, but he hasn't called yet to verify the number. Like the good mother I am, I will post the results when he finally gets the guts up to try. I promise to let you know if he gets ahold of the pretty teen or the middle-aged weirdo.

Catch Up Post #5... Dog Training

Chet received The Dangerous Book for Boys for his birthday last year, and has really enjoyed digging into it the last few weeks. He has been tying knots, practicing magic tricks, and an assortment of other compellingly fun and dangerous things.

One of the things the book delves into is training your dogs. Chet found a rawhide bone, and rounded up Sammy and Beagle to begin their edumacation. They weren't particularly interested in the rawhide bone, but Sammy did enjoy sticking his nose in the book and nudging Chet's hand for some lovin.
Everytime Chet told them to do something, Beagle would scratch her ears and Sammy would nudge his hand. They weren't being very cooperative. Then CryBabyGirl came over to see what the boy and dogs and were up to. Chet asked Kyle to come help him by standing at the trampoline and calling the dogs to him.

The dogs didn't feel like getting up, but CryBabyGirl came running over when Kyle called for the dogs.
Then she rolled over and played dead. Apparently, The Dangerous Book for Boys isn't the master authority on how to train your dog, but we really recommend it if you need an obedient cat.

Catch Up Post #4... The blind leading the blinder

Matt's been complaining that things are "a little blurry." So I was finally able to get the insurance all straightened out and an appointment made to get him and Faith (who also says things are a little blurry) into the eyedoctor.

The doctor was asking Matt to tell her when he could see things. He would say,"I can read it now" and she would move onto the next letter. Sounds okay. Then she asked him to start reading the letters to her out loud. He started saying all kinds of letters and numbers that weren't even up there. Turns out the kid who thinks things are "a little blurry" is nearly blind in one eye, and the other eye is struggling too, and he has whatever the technical term is for near-sighted AND far-sighted issues. She wanted to give him bi-focals, but doesn't think he will wear them in school, so for now she has prescribed some pretty strong lenses and will see him again in six months to see if there are any improvements.

Then Faith had her turn, and she needs glasses for reading or seeing the board at school, but she won't need to wear them all the time. For her, certain things really are just "a little blurry." Unlike her brother, the master of understatement.

They had their eyes dilated. Matt's right eye dilated much faster than the left one. If you look closely you can see my camera in the reflective dilation.
After the dilation was in full effect, they each received an eyeball massage and received a clear bill of optical health. Looks fun, doesn't it?

Then it was time to pick out the new eye duds.

Matt's frames will make him look rather studious, but he won't be able to wear them for sports, and athletes do things like catch footballs or hit fastballs MUCH better when they can see the objects hurtling towards them.

Therefore, he is getting prescription sports goggles too. These don't look nearly as studious, do they?
Of course, we are waiting for the prescriptions to be filled and the glasses should be here this week. But thanks to dilated pupils, they both got to leave and spend the next couple of hours wearing their desiger paper shades.

As we were leaving and I took this shot, a man in the parking lot jokingly said, "No wonder they are blind... look how many pictures you take of them!" Harumph. I didn't even have my flash on. What does he know???

VP Debate Tonight...

Woohoo! I am looking forward to the debate tonight! It won't change my vote either way, but nevertheless I think this will be good. Give him hell, Sarah! Either way, though, as long as both sides are articulate and intelligent I will enjoy the debate. I know.. I am a freak.

And I just want to know WHO is funding Obama's campaign in a way that lets him buy an entire TV channel???? I am so disgusted at how much money is blown on these campaigns.

I am going to be trying to get some pictures edited and finish designing a new kit while I watch the debates tonight. I might be able to finally get all my catch-up posts finished!
_________________________

Here I am again, and I really did enjoy the debate. I found Biden rather likable, even if his forehead is botoxed so smooth his eyebrows won't move. He still can'tchange my vote, though. I had to laugh at some of his expressions as he listened to Palin. He almost looked smitten with her! I didn't hear anything I haven't already read and seen, and that isn't a surprise to me, but I do like the unedited presentation the debates allow. I felt they both did a good job, and I am looking forward to the 2nd Presidential Debate now.

Tagged by Katherine

A) People who have been tagged must (should) write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz.

1. How many songs are on your iPod?
I don't have an IPod. My MP3 player got washed. That kind of just leaves me with my computer and my playlist. I think there are about 50songs on my playlist.

2. What music would you want played at your funeral?
hmmm.. something upbeat and fun. If my mom and brother are still alive, have them play "They're Coming to Take Me Away." Have Katherine Photoshop some purple hair on my head for my big photo and play "I Wish I Was a Punkrocker" ...or if you want to get serious and mushy play "Because You Loved Me" and if you want a favorite hymn play "Old Rugged Cross" or "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today" But if you really want to make me happy play just about anything by Bon Jovi.

3. What magazines do you have subscriptions to?
I would like a Reader's Digest subscription, but I don't have one. I think I have a month or two left on the Digital Scrapbooking sub. When it runs out it is out. I just don't spend money on stuff like that usually.

4. What is your favorite scent?
Rain. Newborn babies. The Bath and Body Works store. I don't know the names of any perfumes I would like.

5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?
I would buy as much real estate as I could. And some really cute shoes.

6. What is your theme song?
Depends on the day I guess.

7. Do you trust easily?
No. And with good reason, I might add!

8. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
Generally, I think before I act. I have been known to have a few act first moments, though.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Yes.

10. Do you have a good body-image?
No, but I am working on it.

11. Is being tagged fun?
It is a fun occasional diversion. I probably wouldn't do it as a regular thing, but I don't get tagged on a regular basis.

12. How do you spend your social networking (Facebook, etc.) time?
Mostly blogging. I have MySpace and Facebook too, though.

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
politics

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
She is an amazing talented scrapbooker and is one of the nicest people I know. I only wish we could spend more time together. (That was Katherine's answer, but I like it and am going to use it about her.)

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
I'm Yours .... love the rythm of it.

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
shoes

17. Do you think Rice Crispies are yummy?
yes, especially the cocoa ones

18. What would you do if you see saw $100 lying on the ground?
It would depend on where the ground was. In a store, turn it in. In a field somewhere with nothing around, I would keep it.

19. What items could you not go without during the day?
Internet

20. What should you be doing right now?
Sleeping.

Okay... I think I will tag Kara, Johanna, Rachel, and Crystal.

Catch-Up #3... Happy Birthday Jessica and Jocelyn!

I feel really bad about being late with this, but I was just able to find my disks with the right pictures tonight.

Jessica and Jocelyn both had birthdays during our September birthday week, and I wanted to tell them Happy Birthday!!

Here is Jessica with Daniel. He got all wiggly as I was taking the picture.
And here is Jocelyn with Ariel.
I can't show two of the grandbabies without showing the third one... Here is the littlest one, Morrigan. (The kids and I decided all the grandbabies should call me Mimsy... Gramma and Nana just sound toooo old to me! Since I still have pretty young ones, it needed to be something very different than "mom" or "momma", so "mima" was out too.)
Happy belated birthday, girls... we love you! Give the babies hugs and kisses from us! (Now Todd is after me to get his picture of him and Daniel up here... have to go find it too!)

Shush Katherine... I can hear you laughing. I am still younger than you! Hehehe.

Catch Up #2... Todd's newest book, Faith's directions

Todd has been penning his latest best-seller. Only one page has a storyline, and the others have had their ink bleed through the paper so much that the scans don't look great at all. But it wasn't the story line that grabbed me. It was the credits on the cover. He sat there so intently and sounded out "illustrated" as he spelled it out. I think my little first-grader did a really good job figuring it out too! He spelled it like it sounds! Apparently, Deth Pool is a "sartit" hero. Are there any comic fans out there who can clue me in to what "sartit" is?
Now, onto the directions Faith and her friend gave me the other day to drop her off at said friend's house. Ready?

Take the road to Berryville. (okay... there is only one main road from our town to Berryville. I hope she doesn't mean one of the backroads.)
Pass the horses.(yeah.... horses... which horses, since half the town owns them??)
Turn at the corner. (which corner??? turn left or right????)
Across the street are three houses. (across the street from what???)
It's the third house. (I think I passed the wrong horses.)

Street names, people. Street names and immobile landmarks... these are the key to giving directions people can actually follow!

Best of the Web list???

I just stumbled across this, and thought it was pretty cool. For me at least. Somehow my blog ended up on this list. I am going to have to go check it out and see how that happened! I see some other blognames of some of my scrappy friends I recognize as well. Fun!

Catch-up #1.. See You at the Pole

I have some video from this event, but still haven't remembered to get the batteries for the remote to transfer it.

Matt was asked to play a couple of songs at the See You at the Pole event last week. He decided to ask Faith to help him with the singing part. This was one of those life-lessons where they both learned something about practicing. They waited until the night before to even nail down their song selections, so they ended up nervous and not quite ready that morning. But in the end it came together very well, and it was a great experience. Chet was given a copy of the New Testament, and since he has a Bible of his own he decided to give it to a friend.

There were about 50 people there, and during the prayer some of the other kids that were arriving came up and joined the circle. If you have an event like this in your area, I really encourage you to go and join. Hearing all these kids pray together was really moving, and very impressive.

Tagged in a Meme... my Top 5, and my bloglist

I am pretty far behind in updating my blog. I have pictures from Meet Me at the Pole, I need to chronicle Matt's "blurry" world, I have a St. Jude update, I have a new storybook authored by Todd, and a rather hysterical set of directions to share with you. But I don't have access to my pictures right now, so I am instead going to use this time to complete a Meme that Rachel tagged me with. The Meme is to list the top 5 reasons you blog.

I blog for me. It is really my fully digital scrapbook. There is no other way for me to collate the music, pictures, stories, anectdotes, videos and memories in one format that is easy to search and readily available nearly anywhere I go. I don't care about keeping track of every single detail, and I generally don't bother recording the things that hurt or worry me. I blog because it lets me keep track of all the wonderful and funny things I want to remember. I want to look back on it with my great-grandkids someday and hope to hear them laughing at the stories of their parents and grand-parents and aunts and uncles and cousins. You know that with as many kids as I do, there are going to be some rowdy family reunions in the future, and I want to make sure there is plenty of fodder for family joshing and general merriment.

I blog to keep in touch with family and friends. I have a list of friends on my right sidebar, and I have been friends with most of those ladies for over ten years now. I have several other friends who come here to read what we are doing, but don't really have an internet presence. This blog lets our families see what the kids are up to, and it lets us share our rural existence with everyone who wants to see what we are up to. My kids and I miss my mom and brother so much, and I like knowing they can jump on here and at least see pictures and stories of what they are up to. Blogging lets me keep a record of what is happening with Chet, and when I don't feel like making a bunch of phonecalls to update everyone, they know they can check that blog for updates.

I blog because I like to write. I always have. In fact, I love everything associated with writing; reading, wordgames, logic problems. Blogging gives me a place to write, sometimes properly and sometimes haphazardly, and it gives me a place to keep track of the arts and literature related items that grab my attention.

I blog because I am interested in people. I love blog-surfing and seeing what people are doing. I like to pop into my friends' blogs and catch up with their highlights. I like to read about strangers and get their perspective on the world. I like to read political commentary, I get a kick out of finding a new source of satire, and I even appreciate finding the blogs that make me cry. Blogging brings the world to me in a personal way, and I love it when I make new friends through blogs.

I blog to learn. I have my own interests that I tend to lean towards, such as photography, cooking, scrapbooking, but I also love to go blog-surfing to find new sources of information. This last year I found several gardening blogs that made clear where my own horticultural failings were stemming from. The news media is too slanted and biased to be reliable, so I like to read political blogs to get a variety of opinions and information. I find reading recommendations, recipes, parenting tips, shopping links, pictures of art I may never get to see in person, music I might never hear on the radio. I believe learning never stops, and we should always be seeking new things to read up on and get involved in. The internet is a large part of my cultural playground, and blog-surfing is my favorite toy in the sandbox.

And with all that being said, this is my blogroll and why I read them. I don't know any of these people in person, but I enjoy keeping up with their blogs. They are listed in no particular order, just how they appear right now based on who has posted most recently.

Sommer Designs... She makes some really fun aprons, purses, and other sewn items. I just like to see what she is creating.

Growing a Life... She is a mom and I found her blog while surfing BlogHer sites. She cracks me up, and I fell in love with her Magnetic Mondays and What I Would Wear Wednesday posts.

Catchin' Some Waves... This is a pastor of a big church in Nag's Head. I like to read his posts about sermons he gives, and I also like to read his posts about his perspective on different things in the world. I found his blog through his son Nathan's blog.

Cake Wrecks... I love absurdity, and this blog is full of professional cake absurdity. I like to revisit the sexual harrassment cake and the carrot jock cake posts when I really need a dose of laughter.

Ragamuffin Soul... a music pastor from a big church in the Atlanta area. I like him because he has tattoos, and he is great with technical stuff like computers and cameras, and he is on fire for his ministry. I am easy to impress... lol

People Reading.. this is one of my favorites.She finds people reading and does short interviews with them. I would love to do this in my area, but I have never seen anybody reading here. We don't have bus stops or sidewalk cafes or any of the other places she seems to find public readers. Even in our library I see more people on the computer than I do reading.

Matt, Liz, and Madeline... Matt blogs about his life as a widower. I read it to see what he and Madeline are up to, and because it warms my heart to see the outreach he has as he has struggled with his grief and loss.

Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President... I saw Adam on Colbert and had to go see his blog. I like that he has been rooting for Sarah since before she was tapped for VP. I enjoy surfing his links as well.

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman.... She has a goofy sense of humor, she is smart, she cooks, she loves photography and Photoshop, she has lots of kids, she lives in the country, and she has a killer blog platform that I will someday copy and use to give all my blogs one home to live in together.

The Brockovich Report... I am a big fan of what I know of Erin. I love a woman with grit and determination and brains and still isn't afraid to be sexy. Could be part of why I like Sarah Palin too!

Crummy Church Signs... more hilarity with honest to goodness signs found on churches. Please, Lord, if we ever put up a big sign at church don't let us be ridiculous with it!

The Prodigal Jon, Stuff Christians Like, 97 Seconds with God... all three are authored by Jon, and I love how he delivers his messages with wit and sarcasm.

Cheerful Scoop... highlights of postive news stories.

He's Gone Home... a blog of a widow who amazes me with her compassion for others going down the same road she has.

Confessions of a CF Husband... Nathan's blog about his wife Tricia who is living with CF, and their daughter who is overcoming birth complications beautifully.

The Well-Read Gardener... a local blog from one of our librarians. I like seeing what she is growing (no pumpkins overtaking her garden!) and I think she is just nice as a person.

Jim Long's Garden Talk... he actually has several gorgeous gardens, and he grows plants from all over the world. I found his link in our local paper, and his gardens aren't that far from our town.

I add to my blogroll all the time as things grab me and compel me to return.

My Baby Girl is 5

I didn't get to post earlier today, but it is still Beth's birthday and I wanted to post about it. Here she is this morning at St. Jude showing off her new birthday purse. She did her own hair this morning with her new hairclips too. I love her style... why only use one or two clips when you can use the whole pack and enjoy all the colors at once!! Happy birthday, Beth! I love you and all your funny little ways of brightening our lives!

HappyBirthday, Chet!!!

My sweet "little"guy is turning 12 today! I spent three days of very hard labor bringing this boy into the world, and now he is as tall as I am! I miss the baby he was; I adore the young man he is becoming. Happy birthday, Chet! We love you!

Carroll County Bowl

Some people really look forward to Superbowl. Some football fans watch for their college teams. But for sheer rivalry, pure antagonism, and the chance to really immerse yourself in football mania, you need to be in a small town when the high school teams meet for their yearly game to prove who is the best.


Football descended on our little town this week, and with it came a sea of red on one side, purple on the other, and teenagers desperately trying to look cool and aloof on every side.Our team and the "other" team are no longer in the same conference, but this game is taken with more seriousness than any conference game. It pits friend against friend, cousin against cousin, photographer against photographer. (Quit standing in front of me just because you are paid to be there!! I have Photoshop and I am not afraid to use it!!!)

Anyway... we got there on Friday and got all set up. We watched Matt and the rest of his team warming up. It is important for the sophomores to warm up properly so they don't pull a muscle guarding the sidelines. Don't you love how they all have the hnad-on-hip stance?

Matt didn't get to play, but that is normal when you are one of the younger guys on the totem pole. So he and the rest of JV team spent the night walking up and down the sidelines commiserating with their teammates, agonizing over every play and missed opportunity. Last year the Tigers were the champions in the CC Bowl. This year they let the Bobcats have the title. It was a sad night if you were on the red side. The "other" side was altogether too happy about their win. In the end those purple kittens won by two meager points... 17-15.

I picked up Crystal and Alex on the way to the game and brought them along. I had my spirit on with my red shirt and my 48 necklace, but Crystal was very Tigerish. She had spent the afternoon altering her shirt to show her love for the band.
And since her daughter Courtney is in it, I guess I can see why she feels that way. She asked me to take some pictures of Courtney during the half-time show. I have a problem with the band uniforms. Those hats, while cute and fluffy with the feathers, cast very unflattering shadows over their faces. I wanted to stop the music and have them all push them up a bit for me. That might have embarrassed the band director, though. I am going to have Courtney pass a memo around in class instead. I am sure she will go for it.



We hit the field and had our chairs set up, and all of my kids went in different directions. I only saw Faith a time or two, and Kyle and Todd checked in sporadically. That is the beauty of living in little towns, though. Everyone knows everybody and events like this are one big town gathering. Todd and his pal Hayden have been friends since right after we moved here. They always meet up at the games to hang out. (Football games, basketball games, soccer games)

But as fun as Friday was, the real show-down was in our yard on Saturday. My other friend Crystal (I suddenly know a handful of Crystals... doesn't anybody name their girls Jane anymore??) and her hubby Nathan and their little girl Meghan came over for dinner and a game of two-hand touch. Real men don't wear shoes to play football.

Here is Chet showing off his patented scissor-man run. I need to videotape this because it cracks me up. He forms a straight line, and his arms and legs just scissor back and forth.

Every real game needs a referee to make sure everybody plays right. Red took on that role, sitting in the middle of the field and giving himself a personal bath. Thank goodness the high school refs don't do that on the field.

It was time to huddle. The team of dads listened to Quarterback Kyle's gameplan.
Then when the going got tough, the tough called in the preschool squad. Beth and Meghan played on the team with their dads. Meghan knows the proper gear is required in any good football game, so she brought her purse with her and held onto it all through the plays.

In the end, the dads and preschoolers won with a narrow margin of 10-5. The scissor-man team have called for a rematch. The referee dog is still trying to scratch an itch that is bothering him. Check back soon for our next report here on Weird-SPN.